Why I Broke the Silence About Anxiety in My Life

Do you ever feel Anxious? Broken? Damaged beyond repair? Unlovable? Do anxious thoughts affect you’re everyday life? For years I felt driven to silence by those feelings. Can you relate? I am sure many do since we fight a common enemy. That snake tends to use the same dirty tricks on us all – then he makes us feel like we shouldn’t talk about it for fear of judgment.

It’s crazy if you think about it. If we all wrestle with anxious thoughts why would we be silent about it? The Truth is, the enemy depends on our silence for his attacks on others to work. When we keep our struggles a secret, it is harder to find healing…

What? Silence about Anxiety Stops our Healing? How?

Those who have come out the other side – healed and whole – are not talking about it!!!!!! That’s right. You have all the details about how we could find freedom and Peace of mind but don’t share it because of fear of judgment. I get it.

Silence about Anxiety also stops me from asking for help.

How can you share all your secrets if you don’t know I have a problem with Anxiety. And on the cycle goes. Those who need help are too afraid to speak up. And those who have overcome the struggle of Anxiety are too afraid to speak up. What can we do about it?

I am stepping out of that crazy cycle for 2 reasons…

God is healing me of Anxiety.

If my story can help anyone – I want to make it available for God to use. Yes, I battle Anxiety. It feels embarrassing, but it is not a choice. My God is bigger than my Anxiety. I am walking in victory by the Power of the Holy Spirit each day!

The enemy likes to take anything we hide (whether it is bad or just embarrassing) and make it public in a hurtful way.

So I like to live without that “mask” to give him less to hurt me with.

My life is filled with landmines the enemy would like to set off and destroy me with… but I try to label them and point them out before he gets there… plus, when I acknowledge them – it allows God to heal them and use them to help others.

When I live my life – without a mask of “I’m Fine” – it allows others to see the mess God is fixing. And When they see God heal me and restore relationships God is glorified and lives are won for His Kingdom.

“2 But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.3 Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3 NASB).

The earliest memory I have of visiting a doctor was being diagnosed with an Anxiety disorder. As a Tween, I left the doctors office with a bag of several kinds of anti-anxiety pills… which my dad promptly threw away. I would have panic attacks often and I was sure I had experienced several heart attacks before my 13th birthday.

I was sure Anxiety would rule me for the rest of my life.

My mind was filled with anxious thoughts and would run wild with a lot of vain imagination.

“6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 4:6-9 NASB).

What Changed to help me in the battle to Overcome Anxiety?

A preacher on the radio years ago taught about understanding and claiming the Power of Philippians 4:8-9. (Ps… You are in the middle of a series on Peace of Mind. To read the first post, click Through the words in the verse below)

Each of those 8 words has a specific meaning and application for our minds. I will walk through each of them and give examples of how I have used this to Take Captive the Anxious Thoughts. Literally, I imagine a sort of trash shoot in my mind that I push that bad thought through. I then take a thought from one of those 8 categories to replace the bad with a right kind of thought. I take those thoughts captive and replace them with Peaceful Thoughts.

Sound too good to be true?

The process of re-learning to think about things has taken years. I won’t lie to you. It is hard work. But I will tell you the Truth – It has truly changed my life. Even my relationships – which were always in drama and chaos because of me mostly 🙁 Now they are healthier!

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Tiffany of Hope Joy in Christ inspires Christian Women to grow in faith, live out Biblical Marriage Principles and raise Godly Children. Join the Wives Only Facebook Group here or keep up with her through Pinterest.